AUBURN, Ala. – When Bo Nix walked unaccompanied to the midfield for the draw before the No. 15 Auburn victory by 30-28 against Arkansas, he was left alone because of a new NCAA rule designed to minimize the spread of COVID-19.
Nix was also the only one of Auburn’s four captains to play against the Razorbacks.
As I ran back Shaun Shivers and defensive striker Big Kat Bryant may return from injuries on Saturday against South Carolina, linebacker KJ Britt remains marginalized
In their absence, younger players took on bigger roles. First defensive line Colby Wooden and Zykeivous Walker both registered their first sacks against the Razorbacks, while the junior linebacker Zakoby McClain made 13 tackles in his career record.
“He’s a great linebacker”, Auburn coach Gus Malzahn said. “He has a great nose for the ball. He can beat blocks, he has a lot of effort and can play laterally. He is a super human being. He has a great heart. He has a great spirit. He loves football. He’s a footballer with a capital F. He loves physicality. He’s a football player from Auburn. He’s tough, so it’s really fun to coach him. “
After running 146 yards against South Carolina, a real freshman Tank Bigsby figures to play another prominent role against South Carolina.
“What impressed me was his physicality and determination,” said Malzahn. “He’s bringing the wood. He’s running mad with great physicality and a lot of effort. We are throwing him in the fire. He took the opportunity.
“He loves to play football. He has confidence. He has a great positive spirit and has that advantage.”
South Carolina offensive coordinator Mike Bobo, a longtime Georgia player, returns to the SEC after five seasons as Colorado State head coach, bringing transfer quarterback Collin Hill with him.
“In this league, you have to be able to run and shoot,” said Malzahn. “You look at his graduation transfer quarterback; you can tell he’s with him. He’s comfortable. He’s a big guy who has a big arm. He knows what to expect. I think, especially in a year like this, an experienced quarterback this has happened to your coach before, I think these teams have an advantage over some. “
Malzahn’s message to the Tigers when Auburn visits Williams-Brice Stadium for the first time since 2011?
“We are going to improve a little bit every week,” he said.
No. 15 Auburn (2-1) and South Carolina (1-2) start at 11 am CT Saturday on ESPN with Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy and Holly Rowe calling for action. Fans can also hear the call from Auburn Network with Andy Burcham, Stan White and Ronnie Brown at 93.9 Tiger FM, Sirius 135 / XM 192, online at AuburnTigers.com and the TuneIn app.
THREE QUESTIONS WITH … WR SETH WILLIAMS
Q: What did you see from the youth of WR?
A: I saw that they are really talented. They are not a common freshman group. They can go in there and do their job. When Flash, Shed and I need a hit, they can come in like they never miss a beat. It is definitely important. If anything happens to one of us, it’s good to know that they can come in and fill the place. They know what to do. We can count on them.
Q: What is the maximum limit for the game of passes?
A: We have a lot of potential. We still have some things to work on. We are not there yet, but the sky is the limit. We always talk about it all the time. He returns to execution. When we perform, we can do things. We are just without execution now. We know we have to do this and we’ll be fine. It’s still at the beginning of the season. We just have to come together.
Q: What was it like watching Anthony Schwartz excel vs. Arkansas?
A: It was good. I know Flash, he had it all the time. It was his first 100-yard game, but I knew it was coming. It could have happened last year or the day before yesterday. He’s special. He can make many more games. I just like watching your brother play a good game.
INSIDE THE SERIES
This will be the 13th encounter in the series of all time and the ninth since the Gamecocks joined the SEC in 1992. Auburn leads the series 10-1-1 and has 3-0 in every game played at the Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
Auburn extended his winning streak over South Carolina to eight games with his 42-35 win in 2014 at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn. The Tigers won 16-13 on their last trip to Columbia in 2011, when an unclassified Auburn team defeated No. 10 Gamecocks.
Auburn posted two Gamecocks wins in 2010; the Tigers won 35-27 on 25 September at Auburn and 56-17 on 4 December in the SEC Championship game. The eight-game winning streak is the Tigers’ longest winning streak over an SEC opponent.
Series: Auburn leads 10-1-1
In Colombia: Auburn leads 3-0
Auburn: Auburn leads 4-0
On neutral sites: Auburn leads 3-1-1
More AU points: 56 (2010)
Current sequence: Auburn, W8
BY NUMBERS
344: Auburn beat South Carolina in 344-195 in the series, including 272-146 in eight games since 1996. Four of the last five games in the series have been decided by eight points or less.
22: Auburn has run for 22 touchdowns against South Carolina since 1996, allowing only three TDs on the ground in that period (regular season 1996, 2010, 2011).
268: Tank Bigsby produced 268 multi-faceted yards against Arkansas (146 runs, 16 receiving, 106 kickoff returns), Auburn’s first game with over 250 multi-faceted yards since Tre Mason’s 312 in the 2013 SEC Championship Game against Missouri.
Jeff Shearer is a senior writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer